Alterations

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

For fans of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese and Svetlana Chmakova’s Awkward, this funny yet poignant middle-grade coming-of-age story highlights the struggle of feeling invisible while yearning to be seen by all. 

Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class plans a trip to Thrill Planet, a spectacular theme park, will he finally have a chance to turn his life around, or will it just be another day for Kevin Lee?

About the Author

RAY XU is a Toronto-based story artist and animator for television and feature films. His recent work includes the 2021 Netflix animated hit The Mitchells vs. The Machines; DreamWorks’ Captain Underpants movie; and more. He invites you to visit him online at http://raymond-xu.com.